Pride and Arrogance
by Thunderscourge
Summary: Instead of being kept unaware to the existence of the true heir to the throne of Rigel his entire life, Berkut is sent to meet and befriend Alm in Ram Village at the behest of his uncle the King. Will spending time among common-folk and family he did not know he had inspire change in Berkut, or will he drag himself down through the flames of arrogance?
1. Berkut

**Description** : Instead of being kept unaware to the existence of the true heir to the throne of Rigel his entire life, Berkut is sent to meet and befriend Alm in Ram Village at the behest of his uncle the King. Will spending time among common-folk and family he did not know he had inspire change in Berkut, or will he drag himself down through the flames of arrogance in spite of the opportunity offered?

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 **Chapter One:** **Berkut**

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Visit a commoner's town, Emperor Rudolf said.

Meet your cousin, he said.

See who would be the one to one day be the _true_ heir to the throne, he said.

It was under such circumstances that Berkut of Rigel's royal family found himself carted off to a backwater town to the far south of the continent well beyond Rigel's own limits. The Emperor believed that it would be for the best that his own son and his nephew met earlier rather than later so that they may bond as children tend to do. The alternative was to keep his nephew in the dark, an option that would allow tensions to rise and perhaps fester when the truth came out one day.

Perhaps allowing a young boy to know of a vital secret could prove unwise, but as a father figure to Berkut the Emperor felt he would be able to keep him in line via his own influence. All he had to do was make certain Berkut would not betray the secret to the Duma Faithful, and that was simple enough given that the young boy seemed to have no love for their kind already.

"What's all the commotion?"

"Who's that with the old man? It's not Alm, that's for sure."

And maybe, just maybe, forcing the haughty child named Berkut to live among the peasantry he already was learning to dislike from his mother would grant him perspective.

Maybe…for none of this meant that Berkut was _happy_ about this decision of his uncle, nor the knowledge that he would not in fact follow his uncle in ruling all of Rigel.

"Hey there not-Alm! I'm Gray, and this-"

"Unhand me!"

Well-schooled for a boy not yet ten, Berkut balked as some tanned boy wearing green clothing tried slinging their arm around his shoulders as if they knew one another. Peers were not something Berkut was used to given his royal upbringing, what with him knowing more of words and books than he did of people. The result was his snappish remark to the first who tried greeting him at the gates of Ram Village, though the boy seems to take it in some stride.

Berkut was told to introduce himself as a distant relative of Alm coming to visit for a brief time before resuming his studies to the 'North', a cover which none in the reclusive village would be able to dispel. Mycen would say it was true, and the man's reputation in the village would have everything be left at that.

When Mycen brought the young Berkut to the city gates at first many just believed him to have brought Alm back after some time spent out in the fields and woods beyond, but when Alm's own friends came to see him they were surprised to see the boy riding beside Mycen was not a green-haired youth but a boy about as old whose hair was more akin to coal.

"Yeesh, no need to be so serious," Gray complained, not used to being rebuffed so severely. Even still his face showed that he didn't really care about the rebuke on any personal level.

It was not from typical malice that Berkut sneered at Gray, rather he simply had not learned any degree of tact for dealing with others who were not his family or esteemed retainers. As Gray fit into neither category, he did not know that looking down on others from the first moment one meets them does not make for genial conversation. He had come here opposed to the idea of bonding with anyone except for perhaps Sir Mycen, and so in turn he did not aim initially to at all earn any favor with others nor did he wish to. What use would commoner 'friends' be to him after all?

"Then learn to keep your hands to yourself."

It was arrogance born of his upbringing and, while he was correct to accost Gray for unwanted physical contact, it was not something his present caretaker Mycen would just allow in his presence as he finished getting off his horse as Berkut had before him.

"Berkut, _manners_. This is Gray, and like it or not you will be getting to know him soon, so you may as well show him proper courtesy..." Mycen reprimanded the young boy second in succession to the throne of Mycen's place of birth, Rigel. Even if he now resided to the South in Zofia, Mycen still had his loyalties to Berkut's uncle and in fact was here thanks to his stewardship of Rudolf's son Alm. Rudolf had plans for the boy which called for him to stay out of the reach of those in Rigel, and so this village in the middle of nowhere was to be not just Mycen's home but that of the rightful heir to the Rigellian throne.

And, for now, the second heir as well...giving Berkut a glimpse at the man he would one day serve, hopefully allowing for a natural friendship to be born rather than brought by force some years later.

Knowing his place and not desiring to offend Mycen, a personal friend to the emperor, Berkut quickly forced himself to try and do something he was not quite used to...apologize.

"Fine…" standing awkwardly sideways to Gray with a shoulder facing him, Berkut offered a hand to the other child to shake, "I am Berkut. Alm and I are… _distantly_ related."

He pronounced it Ber-cut instead of its usual Ber-coo, too young by Mycen's approximation to easily take to a new name, but also beneath notice enough as one of a thousands of dark haired boys his age to get away with a wrongly spoken version of his name without anyone in this town knowing he was in fact the nephew of a faraway land's ruler. Not everyone knew of Berkut as it was, the boy having no place yet at royal court, and so 'Bercut' was safe enough. It was not as if Ram Village was a place anyone of any importance went after all, possessing a small population, scarce resources, and being well off the beaten path...that was, anyone who was not Mycen himself, Alm, or now Berkut.

Thanks to Berkut's gangly nature, he stood well above Gray but that did not deter the boy from happily accepting the hand offered to him and shaking it as intended...though perhaps with more force and exuberance than the standoffish prince expected.

"Any family of Alm's is like family to me!"

Regular town-people had all gone their own ways, for it was the middle of the day and plenty had work to do, but those that lingered all had one thing in common: they were Alm's friends who had thought Alm was the one they were going to greet, but now instead were meeting an alleged relative to him instead. Four in total, one other was quick to personally greet him like Gray while two others hung back.

A girl slightly older than Berkut but around Gray's own age approached Berkut in seeming awe, her flaxen hair her most notable quality to the boy, "You're related to Alm? Wow! I didn't know he had any more family!"

Alm _didn't_ outside of Berkut, or so the story would go...an 'orphan' boy who was attending a military academy up north to explain his basic training in certain skills he learned back home. It did not stretch the truth too much, for Berkut was nearly an orphan given his father's passing and mother's typical absence, and he _was_ learning how to become the king Rigel deserved one day...or at least undergoing the appearance of such training. Now he had learned it was all a show, but a show with purpose that his uncle promised would be for the good of the nation...that Berkut's efforts and schooling were not in vain but rather important to Rigel's very survival. That helped calm the sting of being dethroned at the tender age of seven, over half of those years having been spent with tutors already, but it would be some time before Berkut could claim to be anything but bitter about it.

He would spend some time, days or weeks (the Empror was unclear) among commoners and claim when the time came to return to Rigel that he had to return to the school paid for by his parents...that would explain his 'absence' and allow him to possibly return at any point deemed necessary without rousing too much suspicion among young children and adults distanced from the rest of the continent.

"Berkut and Alm share no blood, but family is family, and before Berkut continues his studies in the North I thought it may be good for them to know one another," Mycen explains, only to realize that Berkut had seemingly been put quite _off_ by the sudden approach of the girl.

Berkut was not smitten with her by any means, but if his experience with other boys his age was severely lacking, his experience with _girls_ was nonexistent. To his fortune she had not moved in to touch him as Gray had done, but her overall proximity was still enough to make the prince almost step back in nervousness as he contemplated the girl's presence.

Unlike Berkut, she was quite used to dealing with others her age and in fact was friends with only boys, so to the fair haired child there was nothing out of the ordinary in meeting Berkut outside of his relation to Alm.

"I'm Faye! I really, really like Alm, so if you want to know anything about him just ask me!"

Berkut could just nod silently to her, not knowing what to say back, but at the very least she seemed nice...a bit odd in how much she seemed to like his cousin, but he had heard of boys and girls his age having 'crushes' before so he chalked it up to being that sort of thing. It was another thing he knew little of, and so he could do little but look away from her and give his nod in embarrassment.

Next in line for greeting him was a quiet boy of about five or maybe six who seemed far more pensive about the whole matter, and Berkut felt both like the other child might be worthy of respect for not getting up in his face as well as that if he pushed the quiet boy at all they would break out in tears.

"Kliff."

Not even a handshake or proper greeting, just his name...that was fine for Berkut however. He was fine with others staying away from him...he was quite used to it back home, where others his age feared drawing his ire given his status and so many avoided him except in the circumstances they could not avoid Berkut entirely.

The last of the four children to come approach Berkut upon his arrival was a brown-haired child a bit younger than Berkut, but who seemed pensive as well despite initial excitement at possibly seeing Alm...the lack of greeting from them actually prompted Berkut to offer one of his own, speaking out to the child as everyone stood by the village's entrance awkwardly waiting for the child to say something.

"And who are you, boy?"

As if taken out of thought, the brown haired child seemed bemused by the by Berkut's way of speaking to him, "Boy? We're the same age."

Still in the presence of Mycen, Berkut bit back his initial idea to scoff at the boy's insolence, but instead took a calming breath and decided to emphasize the fact he was _trying_ to be 'nice'.

"I asked _politely_."

That seems to have done the trick, as the seemingly clueless boy brightens up again and grins with what Berkut recognizes as some pride.

"Oh...well, the name's Tobin, and whatever Faye tells you about Alm, just know that I'm better."

...Berkut had a feeling he would like this 'Tobin', even if Faye spent the very next moment scoffing at his declaration of superiority.

"Tobin!"

In response the boy continues to grin, now looking over at Faye who he shows off his forearm to, "The truth hurts, Faye, I know, but just look at my muscles!"

Given his lean body, there was nothing _to_ look at, but Berkut still respected the overall idea. If some peasant boy could be better than Alm, then Berkut himself could prove himself better, and then maybe, just maybe, the Emperor would choose Berkut as his heir...an idea which, in any case, Berkut had decided upon before even arriving. The King may have his own goals, but Berkut's were simple: to show up Alm however he could. If he happened to learn life lessons and grow less haughty along the way, then perhaps everyone would win in the end.

But for now Berkut had decided which of these commoners was most worth his time, and it was the one whom he seemed to share a mission with. With a smile and pride Berkut offered a hand out to Tobin, willing to shake the hand of this boy without Mycen prompting him at all.

"We have a lot in common then, Tobin, for I too am better than Alm."

Faye was flustered over the way this conversation had gone, but was able to point out a bit of a flaw in Berkut's statement, "You don't even know him!"

That didn't matter to Berkut: he _would_ be better than Alm, so what did it matter that he didn't quite know where exactly the boy was at yet? The only presently strong one among these kids seemed to be the one known as Gray, while the others were just seemingly ordinary kids who likely had differing talents of their own, so Berkut did not feel like competition here would be difficult.

Of course, he had not quite yet met the boy he would claim as his rival soon enough, so he had yet to be humbled by what he would consider an ordinary farmboy if not for his knowledge of Alm's secret...a secret the King had made certain Berkut knew was not to be passed along under _any_ circumstance.

"That is enough, Children. There will be time for playing around later, but for now Berkut should _meet_ Alm as well before he makes too many claims of supposed superiority," Mycen chimed in, grinning all the while at the rivalry the boys were showing already. Rivalry was a good tool for growth, and it would be to both Alm and Berkut's benefit to have someone more on their level to spar with.

Tobin waved goodbye as Mycen began to lead both Berkut and the horse they rode in on towards where Mycen resided, not noticing how Berkut flinched at the smell of the town the further they entered it, "Seeya later!"

"Bye Berkut!" Faye waved, her previous irritation over Berkut claiming to be better than Alm forgotten when the time came to give a courteous wave goodbye.

A bit slower than the others was Gray, who instead of giving a proper goodbye spent the moment raising an eyebrow over at Tobin and Berkut, "What was all of that? Alm's better than both of you, dude. Like _way_ better."

 _"_ _Shut up Gray!"_

Berkut felt awkward waving goodbye to the other children, not ever really having had to do so yet in his entire life to people his own age...but as he watched Gray try to put Tobin in a headlock and Tobin drag both of them down onto the ground to play-fight he felt oddly at ease. That if he was still over there with them he might actually enjoy getting to show off his own strength acquired by the day to day training he was put through even at his age. Or perhaps he could be the responsible one like Faye and break it all apart, showing his dominance by making the other kids do what he said even though he was younger than Gray and Faye both...

Maybe having 'friends' wouldn't be _so_ bad after all.

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 **A/N** : Playing through Shadows of Valentia again after a long time and decided to write this after having a friend talk to me at length over how mean it was for Rudolf the Red Armored Emperor to not at any point inform Berkut of how Berkut was _not_ his heir in actuality. That was what kind of drove Berkut off the deep end at the end of the game, and so with that in mind I wanted to do this 'what-if' to explore how Berkut may have grown up differently had he known both that he was not to inherit the throne as well as actually _knowing_ Alm on a personal level rather than the tragedy which befell them in the game.

I hope you enjoyed, and if you have any thoughts please let me know in the reviews below!


	2. Alm

**Chapter Two: Alm**

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"Grandfather!"

Berkut had remained silent as he was led through the village by Mycen, paying his surroundings only enough mind to know that others were not watching him like some oddity as he feared they might. The houses and shops were ignored in favor of people, most of whom didn't notice that the young boy at Mycen's side was not actually Alm. Some did, but none yet questioned it since for all they knew Mycen was helping some traveler's child reunite with their family or simply showing them to where he rose his sheep.

When the 'grandfather' and 'grandson' reached Mycen's humble abode a young boy with hair like grass ran outside to warmly receive them. The boy did not seem to notice Berkut quite yet, instead being excited about his only known family returning to him after a short journey to do some errand he had not quite explained to Alm.

"Alm. I take it you were fine in my absence?"

"Of course!" the moss-haired boy responded with cheer, seeming quite capable even at his age of taking care of himself.

It was then that he noticed that there was another present, someone who happened to not be a sheep, but as soon as he was able to notice another he was offering Berkut the same smile he given Mycen, "Oh, hello there. I'm Alm. Who are you?"

Berkut was not quite sure what to make of his cousin, for he almost winced at the sight of this skinny boy his age who looked _nothing_ like the refined nobility he had come to expect of others around his status…and yet this boy was to be Emperor. He seemed as if he were any other commoner, and if Berkut did not know better he'd have just passed him over by now.

Mycen was forced to break the silence caused by Berkut taking in the fact that his cousin, and the future ruler of Rigel, was not some noble in commoner's clothes but a commoner through and through except for his blood, "This is a distant relative of yours, Alm, by the name of Berkut. His parents have passed, but left him the funds necessary to attend a school in the north. He will be staying with us for some time until it is time for him to return there."

In a polite way Alm offered his hand to Berkut to shake, showing that while he may not possess the poise and dignity of a future lord he did at least possess common courtesy, "It's nice to meet you, Berkut! I didn't think I even had any more family, so this is exciting!"

Part of Berkut wanted to slap his hand away, the childish part to him upset that this other boy was so special and could one day be Emperor instead of him…but another part knowing his own manners and that he was brought here to get to know this boy, so he may as well _try_ lest Emperor Rudolf be furious.

"A pleasure," Berkut returned both a smile and a hand to shake, making certain to have as firm a grip as he could for the brief handshake.

Seeing that the two boys were starting off on a good enough foot, Mycen came up with an idea to have them move forth from there without him getting in the way.

"Alm, how about you show Berkut around the village? He could use some time to acclimate to things here, and you two can get to know one another better. I can prepare a meal for us all while you do."

"Sure thing!" Alm grinned in excitement about being able to show an actual living family member around town, so long he had been without anyone but Mycen to call his own. Grabbing Berkut's hand, Alm was ready to march right out into town at the mere suggestion to do so, "Let's go Berkut!"

Berkut removed his hand from Alm's, though that did not mean he was averse to the idea…he needed to know about this place he was going to be living after all, so being taught about it all was actually an idea he supported.

He just wished his tour guide would be Mycen and not a boy he was semi-determined to dislike, even if he knew he had to at least _try_ to be civil to him.

"Fine…lead the way."

Mycen was already handling his return to his home and thus was removed from the conversation when Berkut's uneven response caught Alm by surprise. To the boy he expected his seeming cousin of sorts to be so happy and pleasant as he was being, so to see him instead quiet and reserved like his younger friend Kliff was odd to Alm.

Why wasn't Berkut smiling? He got to meet family! Didn't he want to meet family too?

"Is something the matter?"

Knowing he could not reveal the truth, Berkut did as many children tend to under such circumstances and told a lie…a simple lie at that, and one which actually held truth in it.

"It's nothing. I just am not used to this place…or the smell."

Alm bought the excuse as he realized that not everyone was so used to the smell of barnyard animals, and so chalked up Berkut's behavior as being due to simple unease about this new place he was visiting, "Oh, yeah, I guess visitors tend to not like the smell of cows, but to us it's all so normal. Don't worry though, you'll get used to it here, I promise!"

Berkut made no other comment, instead just following Alm back into the town where due to the lack of Mycen he was paid even less mind than before. The villagers had their own lives to go about, and some random black haired boy had not yet earned their notice, allowing Alm to easily bring Berkut to wherever he pleased.

It was not a very large village by all accounts, nor was it the most exciting of places, but Alm did manage to show Berkut to an important location within it all the same as their first main stop.

"So, this is the well. We need this so we can drink water every day!"

Berkut had _heard_ of wells, but he had never actually had to bother with one…but upon being shown it childish curiosity got the better of him.

"May I?" he asked, gesturing to the contraption. If this was how he would have to drink, he may as well learn.

"Go ahead. Drink all you want!"

Permission granted to interact with it, Berkut fiddled with the well until he was brought from it water…water which appeared clear and clean, but which when he brought to his lips left a soured expression in its wake.

"Is something wrong?" Alm asked, worried that something may have gotten in the water…but that was not actually the matter going through Berkut's mind.

No, what was causing his face to look like he had tasted something terrible was that compared to the fresh water brought to him in Rigel every day by servants…this water was positively _disgusting_.

He could not quite articulate what was wrong with it, but 'earthy' would have been his descriptor if he was not intent on still trying to be polite. He did not wish to start off on the wrong foot with Alm…the common boy from before, Grey? Sure. But not Alm, who _was_ his family and blood even if Alm was unaware to the specifics.

"The water up North tastes…different," Berkut provided as an explanation to his face scrunching up, but Alm quickly caught on and lifted an eyebrow in doubt.

"You mean better, don't you?"

"Most certainly."

Alm laughed at the brutal honesty he got this time around, though it did make him wonder more about this 'distant' family member of his, "What's it like where you're from?"

And risk revealing the fact that this was all a farce to trick Alm while allowing for Berkut to meet with him? No, Berkut liked keeping his head on his shoulders, and the simpler he kept things the better.

"I would…prefer not to speak of it, if at all possible."

"Oh…I understand…" Alm apologized, realizing from Berkut's shift into a sorrowful tone that it was likely a touchy subject for him, "…I'm sorry."

Berkut knew he was being quite serious, but he needed to set some basic rules with Alm if he was to do this right…and the pettier part of him didn't _want_ to just get along like the best of friends with someone he had only just recently been informed would one day replace him.

"I do not need your sorrow or pity, but I will be grateful if you can understand my wishes."

"You got it…but if you ever need anybody to talk to, you can always come to me. We're family after all, and there's nothing more important than family and friends."

 _That_ caught Berkut off-guard. Just how kind was this boy? In Rigel such displays of support and emotion would be laughed at. It would be a surefire way to be scoffed at to act with such emotionally reckless abandon, but at the same time it gave Berkut a glimmer of hope.

Maybe…maybe things didn't have to be unpleasant between them. Alm was kind, perhaps too much so, but when Berkut's father had passed no-one had been there to talk to him about it. His mother didn't speak to him about how it made him feel. Neither had his uncle for that matter. And yet here was some boy offering to do something even his supposedly loving family would not, mere moments after meeting, all because of a sense of family and loyalty…

It was nice.

"…thank you, Alm. I will remember that."

Not one to dwell on such things for long, Alm went about continuing his tour for Berkut, showing him some of the various buildings nearby the well.

"That's Grey's family's general store, and here's the local bakery! Sure, it mostly just sells bread, but it's really good I promise!"

The mention of bread caused Berkut's stomach to rumble to his embarrassment, prompting the young boy to blush even as he smiled at the thought of eating it.

"Bread…noble or common, I suppose we all eat it."

Any hidden meaning in his words was lost on Alm, who just was glad to see Berkut smiling for once, "That's right! Tobin's family owns it, so do you want to check it out?"

Despite his desire now to eat, Berkut shook his head and denied his cousin's suggestion, "Perhaps another time…your grandfather is preparing food for us, is he not? I would not wish to crave for something else while another is providing for me."

Alm grinned, thinking it considerate of Berkut to think along those lines instead of just with his stomach, "That's pretty nice of you, Berkut…you can always come by some other time, and I'm sure the Bakers would love to have you. There may be a lot of them, but they're good people."

Berkut resolved to do just that when he had the opportunity and stomach for a trip to the bakery…he had come with quite the pouch of coin, so purchasing food would be no issue. He had not wished to be a burden on his host Mycen, who he had been told great things about, so asking his mother for some coin had been easy.

More difficult was keeping up with Alm, who was bouncing between pointing one direction and then suddenly another as he nearly dragged Berkut around.

"Okay, so by the shop is where Gray lives with his sisters and parents, and over here's where Kliff's family lives. And there's Faye's house, and…"

Alm paused a moment as the young boy ran out of important places to show off, not quite experienced at the art of showing off a village to another. He had just shown Berkut most of the things and places he interacted with, but he had a short list of such things given the village's small size and his own age.

"…and that's everyone I think! That place over there with the old man is where we make our village's special wine. Grandfather doesn't let me drink it, but I hear it's really good!"

Wine…that was something Berkut had plenty of access to back home, but had not had the pleasure of drinking yet. Still, it might be good for washing out the taste of the local water, so he made a mental note to try that in addition to the food of the bakery.

"Maybe it can quench our thirst another time," he suggested, with Alm agreeing with a nod.

"The village isn't all that large, so except for the sentry tower or some of the sheep back home I don't know what more I can show you. Do you like it?"

The easy answer would be 'no', as even as young as he was Berkut felt this place was beneath him…but for the time being he would have to reside in it, so he may as well begin looking at what he _liked_ rather than _disliked_ here.

"It is acceptable. I expected a plain village and it would appear that is what this place is."

From one of the homes mentioned by Alm came the familiar form of Grey, who had with him some training swords and an excited grin on his face as if he had been hoping to run into Alm when he came outside.

"Hey Alm, you wanna play swords?"

"Sure!"

 _'Play swords'?_ That was a new phrase to Berkut…but as his cousin moved to join Grey and beckoned him over with a hand to join them both, the pseudo-prince of Rigel found himself curious.

Were these villagers actually capable of wielding swords, even false ones? If they could that was actually commendable, and he would like to watch. He may even respect Alm for it.

'May' being the key word. He may be slightly inclined towards his cousin thanks to the boy's earnest nature, but he was not going to roll over and accept him into his heart just yet…but that was not to say it could not occur at some point.

A part of him wanted it to though, even while the rest of him wretched at such an idea. To actually have family who cared for him…

That was a new experience indeed.

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 **A/N** : Thank you for reading, and I hope you enjoyed! If you have any thoughts, please leave them in the reviews below, and thank you to Kahili, ElemenUchihaMaster, and a Guest last chapter for leaving your thoughts for me!


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